Page 26 of To Steal the Sun

She woke to spears of sunlight and turned her head sideways. For the first time ever, she had a morning view of her husband still in bed beside her. A rush of joy filled her, only to immediately be doused by the memory of where they were. They weren’t in their castle in the forest. They were in the mountain kingdom, and Henry was a prisoner under an unnatural sleep. She flung off the covers, crawling over to shake him again.

She had slept the night away, and now morning had already arrived. She had to wake him before it was too late. The queen’s guards could burst in at any moment—she was surprised they hadn’t already arrived.

“Henry! Henry!” she cried, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.

He stirred in response, groaning and running a hand over his face, his eyes shut.

“No,” he grumbled, his voice rough with sleep. “I want to stay in this dream. Lottie’s here.”

Charlotte’s tears fell more thickly, blurring her vision. “Wake up, wake up!” she cried. “I’m really here, but we only have a moment. Wake up!”

His eyes sprang open, and for a silent second she stared down into the piercing blue eyes that had haunted her every moment since he’d disappeared. Then he surged into a sitting position, his arms sweeping around her and bundling her onto his lap where he held her tightly against his chest.

“Lottie,” he said thickly. “Lottie.”

Pressed against his strong chest, safe within the circle of his arms, her tears turned into full sobs. She knew she needed to regain control—that they had important words to exchange—but she couldn’t do anything but revel in the moment.

He was the one to recover first, pulling back slightly to look down at her.

“Wait,” he said, his clarity returning by the second. “What are you doing here? You can’t be here, Lottie!”

She wiped at her cheeks, trying to remember what she needed to say.

“I’m so happy to see you again,” she managed instead. “I missed you so much.”

His arms tightened again, his eyes piercing into hers, devouring her face.

“It seems impossible.” He cupped her face gently in his large hands, his eyes slipping down to her mouth. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

Charlotte angled her face up invitingly just as he pressed his lips down, meeting hers in a fervent kiss. She sank into it, absorbing all his longing and relief and desire and returning it in equal measure.

The door banged open, startling them apart. Awareness rushed back to Charlotte, and she gasped. She had been given two precious minutes, and she had spent them crying and kissing him.

“Wait,” she cried as the queen swept into the room, a line of guards behind her.

She tightened her grip around Henry’s neck, leaning forward to murmur in his ear. “I only bargained for the night. I’ll be safe, but only if I leave now. You have to play along and do what Gwen says.”

His head moved as he looked toward the queen, and Charlotte could feel the horror in every line of his body.

A guard seized her from behind, prying her away from Henry. When she didn’t let go, another guard came forward to help.

The second she ripped free, Henry leaped from the bed, fists raised, fury on his face.

“No!” Charlotte lunged forward, surprising the guards enough that they momentarily lost hold of her.

She placed both hands on Henry’s chest in a restraining gesture. “You can’t fight them.” She captured his eyes with hers, holding them with determination. “You have to let me go. I told you I have to leave now. I said I’ll be safe.”

The guards leaped forward again and took hold of her, dragging her away from Henry. He swayed toward her, his hands still fisted, and she shook her head frantically. Reluctantly, he looked at the massed guards and then the queen and remained in place.

“And the other thing!” Charlotte cried as she was dragged backward from the room. “Promise me, Henry. Promise me!”

She caught the moment of acceptance and begrudging acquiescence in his eyes just before she was pulled out into the corridor. As soon as they stepped sideways away from the door, the guards stopped, holding Charlotte in position, just out of sight of those in the room.

She looked toward the door, presuming they were waiting for the queen, but Celandine didn’t appear. Instead, Charlotte heard Henry’s voice, the angry rumble too low for her to catch the specific words, and then the queen’s response, colder and higher, easy to decipher.

“I told you before,” she said, “and I’ll tell you again. There is an easy solution to any legal dispute. And as you can see, such an action is well within my power. If you want that girl to live, then you will cease any useless attempts at defiance.”

Charlotte went cold all over. It was just like Gwen had said. Celandine was using Charlotte to control Henry.

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